Body weight, sleep-disordered breathing and cognition linked in children

Researchers at the University of Chicago have found important new relationships between obesity, sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and cognitive processing among elementary school children.

"The intricate interdependencies between BMI, SDB and cognition shown in our study are of particular importance in children, as their brains are still rapidly developing," says study author Karen Spruyt, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the Pritzer School of Medicine. "Rising rates of obesity in children may amplify these relationships. Public health campaigns targeting obesity should emphasize not only the health benefits but the potential educational benefits of losing weight."

The findings were published online ahead of print publication in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

According to Dr. Spruyt, "SDB amplified the risk of adverse cognitive and weight outcomes, while weight amplified the risk of SDB and adverse cognitive outcomes. Impaired cognitive functioning was associated with an increased risk of adverse weight outcomes and SDB."

In contrast, she noted, "good cognitive abilities may be protective against increased body weight and SDB."

The study enrolled 351 schoolchildren (mean age 7.9 years) in Louisville, Kentucky, who underwent neurocognitive testing with the Differential Abilities Scale following an overnight polysomnogram or sleep study. SDB was measured with the obstructive apnea/hypopnea index (AHI), defined as the number of apnea and hypopneas per hour of total sleep time. Anthropometric measurements included body mass index (BMI). Data were analyzed by Structural Equation Modeling, a statistical technique for testing and estimating causal relations between the variables of interest.

Models using "sleep-disordered breathing" revealed a substantive mediator role of SDB on the relationship between BMI and cognitive performance, with SDB increasing both adverse cognitive and adverse weight outcomes. In analyses using "weight," BMI increased the risks of adverse SDB and cognitive outcomes. Finally, in models using "cognition" as the mediator, the poor ability to perform complex mental processing functions was shown to increase the risk of adverse weight and SDB outcomes.

"The mediator roles of weight and SDB were comparable, both adversely affecting cognitive functioning." Dr. Spruyt noted. "Poorer integrative mental processing may also increase the risk of adverse health outcomes."

The study had some limitations. The study included only normally developing children, limiting generalization of the results to more impaired populations. The authors also note that inclusion of children with more severe SDB might have altered the magnitude of the mediation effects.

"Along with campaigns targeting childhood obesity," Dr. Spruyt adds, "screening for SDB in overweight children and children with learning difficulties may be justified based on our results."

Related Stories

A study in the June 1 issue of the journal Sleep found that waist circumference and body mass index (BMI) are consistent, independent risk factors for all severity levels of sleep disordered breathing (SDB) in children, sugges ...

About two-thirds of children with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB)— snoring or obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)— have some degree of cognitive deficit, but the severity of the cognitive deficit has been notoriously difficult ...

A new study by researchers at Hasbro Children’s Hospital offers a closer look at the association between childhood sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), including snoring and sleep apnea, and behavioral problems like hyperactivity ...

Obesity in children significantly increases the risk of major and minor respiratory complications following surgery to correct sleep disordered breathing (SDB), according to new research presented at the 2009 American Academy ...

Recommended for you

Public health officials in the U.S. are exasperated by their inability to persuade more parents to vaccinate their children, saying they're dealing with a small minority who are misinformed—or merely obstinate—about ...

The American Thoracic Society has published the results of a survey of the ATS membership on climate change which found that the majority of ATS members believe that climate change is real and that it is having a negative ...

A new study by the University of Texas Medical Branch found that 20 percent of men were prescribed testosterone despite having normal testosterone levels based on the Endocrine Society's guidelines. The study ...

A new study by California scientists has linked chronic exposure to microscopic air pollutants in vehicle exhaust to deaths from heart disease. The finding bolsters evidence that ultrafine particles, which are not regulated ...

Attendance at schools exposed to high levels of traffic-related air pollution is linked to slower cognitive development among 7-10-year-old children in Barcelona, according to a study published by Jordi Sunyer ...

User comments

Please sign in to add a comment.
Registration is free, and takes less than a minute.
Read more

Click here to reset your password.
Sign in to get notified via email when new comments are made.